This Is An Alright Start
by The Hart and Hound
Summary: All things considered, Howell knew that Sophie was made for him, even if she refused to see reason most of the time. [For the 1sentence community. HowellSophie, book timeline.]


Title: This Is An Alright Start

Author: tsubaki-hana

Series: Howl's Moving Castle (book)

Rating: K

Disclaimer: Howl's Moving Castle belongs to Diana Wynne Jones.

Summary: All things considered, Howell knew that Sophie was made for him, even if she refused to see reason most of the time. (For the 1sentence community. Howl/Sophie)

Notes: For my purposes, I chose to again answer this challenge with a chronological time table.

* * *

1. Walking

As a man of extreme vanity and high fashion standards, Howell could hardly bring himself to believe that anyone, much less a strikingly red headed young lady, could go out walking on May Day in **grey** and still look lovelier than the hundred other colourful women; she did anyway.

* * *

2. Waltz

He did not think he was being unreasonable when he came dancing into the kitchen, because for all intents and purposes, he felt like his heart was beating in his chest at the thought of his mousy girl, even when he knew that he really didn't have a heart to speak of and that she was not his at all.

* * *

3. Wishes

Howell had a habit of making wishes when drinking to the bottom of a good pint of ale, and this morning he wished for an earnest love; Sophie, in her grey dress, marched her way determinedly into the Waste.

* * *

4. Wonder

His first thought upon seeing an old woman (and not even a real one!) cooking over Calcifer was that a grey dress such as that had absolutely no business making itself at home in his house, that is until he recognized it.

* * *

5. Worry

Howell loved his arachnid friends more than most people, but he certainly didn't want to have to choose between then and his new cleaning terror of an infatuation, so instead he offered a few of them a ride out on his sleeve; they somehow seemed grateful.

* * *

6. Whimsy

For him, Lettie had become something of an indulgence, considering he was having a hard time keeping what might have been his heart into the game of wooing her, especially when he couldn't keep his mind off of the meddlesome busybody who was undoubtedly destroying his home with permission.

* * *

7. Wasteland

"At least you don't have to think about things like this," he told the shy violets in the fields at the edge of the Waste, "but most of you are already made in perfect pairs."

* * *

8. Whiskey and Rum

Undoubtedly, whiskey was one of the greatest culinary inventions of mankind, and even with Sophie grumping disapprovingly by the worktable, Howell was determined to enjoy it as best he could in a Welsh rugby fashion.

* * *

9. War

Howell wouldn't stand for his room to be cleaned so early on in the game, not when there were a thousand small vulnerabilities for her to see in there and him, sensitive to criticism and coarseness alike, without a shield to duck behind.

* * *

10. Weddings

He needed to keep busy somehow, now that he was something of an unwelcome wind in the midst of Sophie's newfound comradery with Calcifer and Michael; Sophie laughs gravelly, and he wonders if it will always be like this.

* * *

11. Birthday

Howell chose not to think of the curse too often, since more often than not it made him feel old instead of afraid, and he knew perfectly well that Sophie was his junior by several years.

* * *

12. Blessing

It was wholly unjust how Lettie had dismissed him for someone else, but Howell was relieved in a way, since he wouldn't have to feel like a snake for having eyes on two women at once; nonetheless, Sophie was not impressed with his theatrics upon entering the bathroom.

* * *

13. Bias

'She did it on purpose,' he thought darkly, holding his ginger pink hair between his fingers, and against his will, he was both indignant and amazed that she had known enough about him to have so successfully managed to sabotage his ego.

* * *

14. Burning

"Go ahead and _try_ to get rid of **that**," he said smugly, ignoring Calcifer's protests and thinking of all the possible loopholes that Sophie might use to clean the noxious green slime.

* * *

15. Breathing

He has to remind himself to exhale when Sophie hands him a cup of warmed milk with equally warm hands.

* * *

16. Breaking

Eventually, one of them was going to have to give in and be tired, he thought, keeping himself as busy as possible around the house until Sophie drifted off to sleep, leaving him able to speak with his fire demon.

* * *

17. Belief

"She could do it, you know," says Calcifer in his sibilant hiss, and Howell smiled, thinking about how it would feel to have his heart flutter in his chest just like the old Romantic he was.

* * *

18. Balloon

Howell would have to thank Sophie for fixing his scarlet suit sometime since it seemed to double his already immense sex appeal, which in turn was doubling his ego, as if sent as an apology for the hair tinctures.

* * *

19. Balcony

"That scarecrow gave me a bad turn, I daresay," he said to keep himself and Sophie distracted, Calcifer helping him to tear away at the curse while he watched Sophie's blue eyes, feeling he was at the edge of something and pushed back again.

* * *

20. Bane

Howell frowned, squinting in the sun to see around the side of Mrs. Fairfax's house, because he had to know if that silly woman had honestly followed him all the way out here just to get into his business.

* * *

21. Quiet

Howell, looking at Sophie and Michael, realized that if they _had _caught a falling star then their little home would never be the same, and that he would likely loose someone to the fiery glow; he swallows, feeling his mind still.

* * *

22. Quirks

It was amazing how quickly Sophie was able to change his mood from foul to amused, and all done in a simple sniff of her nose and tilt of her eyebrows.

* * *

23. Question

Rummaging through his books, he muttered over and over "Raleigh or Blake, Raleigh or Blake..?", only knowing that the poem he sought was somehow relevant to his angry and falsely-aged bonnie lass in the other room.

* * *

24. Quarrel

There was no doubt in his mind that Megan was quite possibly the bane of his existence (or at least his inherent lazy nature), but with Sophie telling his sister off with imaginary china and gold leaf, he thought that this time he would not lose this battle.

* * *

25. Quitting

He wasn't even sure that it was worth avoiding the curse anymore, or at least he didn't until he saw Sophie sitting in her chair, darning socks, and wanted to see that everyday no matter how mundane it could be.

* * *

26. Jump

Howell was completely enthralled by all the different outfits that he could buy for Sophie, but couldn't decide on anything other than grey, despite his attempts to be rid of the colour; he made one of the attendants go out of his way to fetch the dratted thing.

* * *

27. Jester

Trying to talk over Sophie's and Mrs. Pentstemmon's heads was far more difficult than he thought it would be; he didn't need a second request from the old dowager (which was really a command) for him to leave the room, since he likely looked a fool.

* * *

28. Jousting

Howell had to hand it to Sophie; she had managed to not only let the Count win his duel, but instigate one of the best lawsuits that he had ever seen in Ingary.

* * *

29. Jewel

He wasn't very pleased with the fact that Michael had lost Sophie, but there was only so much a person could do against the awesome destructive force of the cursed old woman, and all lost things that were precious to him tended to find their way back anyway.

* * *

30. Just

"That's not fair at all," he said aloud when the herald forced to sit outside the court, wondering if Sophie was up to her usual mischief in royal company.

* * *

31. Smirk

Taking the scroll of his appointment from the messenger, Howell wondered briefly if Sophie had played a rather cruel joke on him and was smiling from some distance, ignorant of the pain he was feeling already.

* * *

32. Sorrow

He didn't know how to reconcile Mrs. Pentstemmon's death, but even when it was turned black and velvet under his magic, Howell felt better wearing the suit that Sophie had meticulously repaired.

* * *

33. Stupidity

Howell was very non-confrontational, and in hindsight, going to a funeral that someone with a bone to pick with him was going to be attending hadn't exactly been one of his more brilliant ideas, but at least Sophie had worried about it.

* * *

34. Serenade

He was ill, he was cranky, and if Sophie didn't march up there in the next five minutes, Howell was going to die from neglect, already missing the gravelly and often angry voice of his self-appointed cleaning woman.

* * *

35. Sarcasm

"Right, and then we all live happily ever after, the wizard, the woman, the apprentice, and the new dog alike," he muttered, irritated by the new dog and the spring of hope that had a habit of wrenching forth from his chest when he didn't want it to (which was much worse when he was stuffy from illness).

* * *

36. Sordid

"Did she really think that none of us would know she was cursed?" he asked Michael, feeling as though he had done something wrong as she went out the door and away from them, but just looking at that threshold a few feet from him made Howell feel that she was miles away.

* * *

37. Soliloquy

He frowned and sighed into his hands, sitting next to a bucket of unhappy lilies; "How ironic that both you and I will be doomed on the morrow, and that Sophie will feel worse for you than for me."

* * *

38. Sojourn

She went to vanquish her anger with her weed killer, Howell went to vanquish his guilt, and neither one of them really found what they wanted.

* * *

39. Share

"Yes, I would like it very much if you would come stay with Sophie tomorrow," he said to Lettie Hatter and her mother, in a voice that was a tad too cheerful for someone who felt very much like he was getting his favorite toy taken from him.

* * *

40. Solitary

Even when surrounded by old friends in the comfort of the pub, smelling of cigarettes and ale, Howell couldn't help but feel a little lonely knowing that if he came home now, Sophie would not wait up for him, still too mad to forgive his knowing of the curse.

* * *

41. Nowhere

The sheets were too cold, his head was too hot, and the alcohol and subsequent hangover hadn't made him feel any happier than he had felt a few hours before; he rolls over, thinking how he'll make it up to everyone tomorrow.

* * *

42. Neutral

He had saved his sister's family, but not Sophie, and with that thought, he wondered if he had gotten anywhere at all despite his efforts.

* * *

43. Nuance

His initial explanation to Calcifer of why he was going to be running valiantly out to save Sophie had been that he rather liked to be the hero, but he knew that there was so much more than that; if Calcifer knew, he said nothing.

* * *

44. Near

Howell certainly didn't feel like he was getting any closer to the Witch's domain, but even with his morning scruff on his chin and clothes from yesterday itching against his arms, he was determined to make it in time.

* * *

45. Natural

Now he knew he had made a mistake in not bothering to freshen up before getting Sophie; she looked positively ill (thought not for the reasons that he believed).

* * *

46. Horizon

In the hands of Ms. Angorian, Howell could see the flames of Calcifer weakly protesting, and Sophie, in the blue glow of fire demon, gave Ms. Angorian a glare made of steel and burning suns.

* * *

47. Valiant

The remnants of Sophie's old cane smouldered on the floor, and as much as Howell had wished to be rid of the old thing, he gave it a wheezy laugh and a little bit of respect.

* * *

48. Virtuous

"My own Joan of Arc," he said to himself, looking at Sophie (now much younger, like he wanted for so long) with a smile and idly wondered if it was alright to be comparing her to someone French despite his own Welsh origins.

* * *

49. Victory

They only held hands (which defied Howell's innate desire for the melodrama of a theatre), but grinning foolishly at each other, Howell found that he was not at all disappointed.

* * *

50. Defeat

"You know under the circumstances, of course," he heard Lettie say loudly over his shoulder, pointedly if he didn't know any better, "that we'll have to marry them immediately before Howl slithers off or Sophie loses the nerve."

* * *

A/N: Hmm, some of them are more strained, but it's hard to summarise and describe in one sentence sometimes. Next time, I'll probably avoid chronological order.


End file.
